Don "Diesel" Nelson, a chaplain and assistant director for the Sky Islands chapter of the VFW Post 9972, said his crew of motorcyclists volunteered to escort Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on her passage to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for a flight to Houston because "Gabby’s a friend of ours. She has ridden with us on a couple of occasions. She supports us and always has from day one, when we met her. … People don’t believe in miracles? Well, there’s one in the hospital getting ready to be transferred right now."

• Jim Nintzel
• Motorcycles are parked outside of University Medical Center. A group of VFW motorcycle riders volunteered to escort the ambulance carrying Rep. Gabrielle Giffords to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base this morning, as she is transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Houston. The congresswoman rode with this group in May 2009, when they escorted the remains of Civil War-era veterans from Tucson to Sierra Vista.

Update: Shortly before 9:30 a.m., Giffords' ambulance left UMC.

• PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMANTHA SAIS
• Sen. John McCain joined other Arizona and national leaders at the celebration.

A tone of celebration and hopeful rejoicing filled McKale Center for the Together We Thrive Tucson & America memorial.

The capacity crowd applauded as family members, doctors, and Arizona politicians entered the V.I.P. section in the arena. Among the capacity crowd were Bill Heilman, whose wife was the neighbor that brought young Christina Green to the Giffords meet-and-greet on Saturday; Angela Robinson, the step-daughter of Dorwin Stoddard; now world famous Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik; and many other politicians including Senators John McCain, Jon Kyl, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and many Arizona politicians.

These are just some of the faces in the crowd.

More Photos after the jump.

• Photograph by Josh Morgan
• Angela Robinson, the step daughter of Dorwin Stoddard who was killed in the shooting, is embraced by a friend at the start of the memorial.

A tone of celebration and hopeful rejoicing filled McKale Center for the Together We Thrive Tucson & America memorial.

The capacity crowd applauded as family members, doctors, and Arizona politicians entered the V.I.P. section in the arena. Among the capacity crowd were Bill Heilman, whose wife was the neighbor that brought young Christina Green to the Giffords meet-and-greet on Saturday; Angela Robinson, the step-daughter of Dorwin Stoddard; now world famous Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik; and many other politicians including Senators John McCain, Jon Kyl, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and many Arizona politicians.

These are just some of the faces in the crowd.

More Photos after the jump.

• Photograph by Josh Morgan
• U.S. President Barack Obama speaks infront of the capacity crowd in McKale Center. The event drew a massive response from the community, forcing university officials to open the Arizona Stadium for overflow.

The eyes of the United States, if not the world, were on Tucson tonight as President Barrack Obama stood before a capacity crowd at the University of Arizona's McKale Center to lead the city and the country in a celebration for unity in memory of those who died at the tragic shooting Saturday morning.

Ron Barber, Tucson District Director for Rep. Giffords, was among the wounded from Saturday's shooting. Giffords spokesman C.J. Karamargin shared with us two photos from his room in the ICU.

• Photo by Gawain Douglas

Karamargin: "Ron Barber, 65, meets with Daniel Hernandez in his hospital ICU room on Sunday, Jan 9, 2001. Daniel works with Barber as an intern for Congresswoman Giffords while Barber is the District Director for Giffords. Hernandez rushed to Gifford's aid after she was shot. While holding the wounded Giffords, Hernandez said he asked another bystander to put pressure on Barbers wounds. He also asked Barber for his wife's phone number and then shouted it out to someone so that Barber's wife, Nancy, could be informed of the shooting. Barber was extreamly greatful and impressed with Hernandez's composure under the circumstances and had been asking to see him after he had gained strength following surgery."

• Photo by Gawain Douglas

Karamargin: "Ron Barber, 65, reacts after opening a gift from his granddaughter while in the ICU at University Medical Center on Monday, January 10, 2011. Barber was able to visit with his four grandchildren two days after being shot twice during the attempt on Congresswoman Giffords' life in Tucson."